Endure and Survive
by Black Lotus13
Summary: Fifteen years ago, the human race was nearly wiped out by a mysterious virus that transforms humans into mindless monsters. Now Lightning, a hardened survivor is entrusted with the task of escorting a child who may just be humanity's last hope. AU based on the game The Last of Us. Rated M for Language and violence.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue: Hometown

It was late; of this Serah Farron was quite sure. How late? Who knows, she had long since given up on checking the clock on her phone ever five minutes. The fifteen year old was sprawled out, her long legs dangling off the edge of the couch positioned in front of the television in the spacious living room. She had been mindlessly flipping through the channels for what felt like (and probably was) hours, looking for anything that wasn't late night comedy shows, featuring the kind of humor that was more crass than actual comedy, or advertisement for products that only people who were completely wasted would order and then wonder where it came from when it showed up on their door step.

With a huff, she switched off the television and lazily dropped the remote on the floor, deeming it too much effort to stretch her arm out to reach the table. She stared at the ceiling for a full ten minutes before snatching up her phone and checking the time again. The LED screen lit up, the numbers on the interface displaying the time as 1:03 AM. She sighed dramatically. And began swinging her legs back and forth, making a game of trying to keep them in rhythm with the ceiling fan. Fifteen minutes later, she finally heard the door open slowly, undoubtedly trying to make as little sound as possible so as not the supposedly sleeping occupant. Light but steady footsteps grew louder as they drew near to the living room. The sliding door to the room opened and a figure stilled as they saw the girl on the couch.

"You're supposed to be asleep. It's a school night." A young woman with hair the same shade of light pink that Serah had.

"Good to see you too, Light." Serah greeted, obviously put off by other's lack of warmth.  
The woman rolled her eyes, although her overall attitude seemed more good natured and was obviously finding it difficult to stay irritated at the younger's childish antics.  
"And why, may I ask are you still up at this hour. I told you I'd be back late. I hope you at least did your homework this time instead of talking on the phone with that idiot all night." She said, her tone less scolding and more playful now. She settled on the couch next to the younger girl, who moved her legs up to her chest to make room.

"Well it's not my fault that you work ridiculous hours. I hope you didn't really think you could get out of this, just because you refuse to take the day off." She said cheekily. With that, she reached behind one of the small decorative pillows on the couch and produced a medium sized parcel, neatly wrapped with a white satin ribbon on top.

"Happy birthday!"

The gift was placed in the woman's lap, the card attached to it facing up so that she could read the immaculate hand writing on the frilly stationary that read: _Happy Birthday, Lightning! P.S. I'm going to throw you a party, and you can't stop me! You only turn nineteen once, sis!_

Lightning chucked quietly at the card. The look on Serah's face left no room for argument, and Lightning secretly dreaded the idea of walking through her front door after a hard day working for the Guardian Core, only to find Serah's rowdy gang of half wit friends ready to make her have fun whether she liked it or not.  
She shook her head, dispelling the thoughts and carefully removed the shiny ribbon and paper that secured the package. Removing the lid revealed the contents to be a basic survival knife. She lifted it in her hand and pressed the trigger, the mechanism that held the blade safely inside the handle. The blade glinted, warning of its sharp edges. The felt balanced and light in her hand, but still sturdy enough that it would hold out for some time. It was obvious that Serah had taken her time and spared no expense in obtaining a high quality knife. "How practical." She said in an amused tone.

"Do you like it? You kept complaining that your old one was broken, so I thought this might make a good gift." Serah said. Her voice was calm, but her face betrayed her anticipation to hear Lightning's verdict.

"Serah, this is nice but…" She began, making a show of trying to get the blade to click back into its original position. "I think it's broken." She declared.

"What!" The disappointment in Serah's voice almost made Lightning sorry for the trick she had played. Almost. She laughed at her sister's face as it slowly morphed into annoyance as Lightning lifted her fingers, revealing that she had been holding the trigger in place, preventing the blade from retracting. Serah did her best to look petulant and playfully pushed Lightning, who had yet to stop laughing. It was only a matter of moments before Serah gave in and started laughing to, causing the sisters to collapse into giggles all over again.

When they finally caught their breath, Serah leaned over on her older sister's muscular shoulder. Lightning swiped the remote off the ground and turned on the television. The two sat on the couch, talking and laughing at the ridiculous late night programs, that somehow were much more entertaining with someone to watch them with. No more than an hour later, Lightning glanced over at her shoulder to see that Serah had dozed off and was now sleeping peacefully. Lightning carefully shifted before picking Serah up and carrying her bridal style up the stairs to her room. She stepped around the many girly clothes and stuffed animals that covered Serah's room and laid the girl in her bed, drawing the covers up to her chin. She smiled fondly; brushing aside the younger girl's bangs and planting a light kiss on her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Serah."

…

Serah was awakened by the sound of her cell phone ringing on the nightstand beside her bed. She didn't remember going up to her room, but thought nothing of it. She slowly opened her bleary eyes, fumbling for the phone. Her hand finally made contact with the slim device and she pressed the answer button and held it her ear. "Hello?" she asked groggily.

_"Serah? Is that you? Are you okay?" _The familiar voice of her boyfriend asked.

"Snow? What the hell? What time is it?" She moaned, rolling over to see her alarm clock, which read 3:31 AM.

"_Serah, listen to me! Something's going on out here. Something bad! Are you at your house? Is Lightning with you?" _He continued frantically.

Serah was now sitting up in her bed with the bedside lamp turned on, "Snow, what's going on?" She asked nervously.

The voice on the other end of the line began to fade out as static cut through, muffling the message. _"…out here…everywhere…insane…Ser-…get…stairs…coming ov-" _The line went dead. "Snow….Snow?" She yelled into the receiver. Upon receiving no answer, she climbed out of bed, wincing as her bare feet made contact with the floor.

Still feeling groggy from having been woken up so suddenly, she wandered through the hallway to her sister's room and knocked on the door. When she received no answer, she pushed it open, revealing the ever-immaculate room to be empty with the small TV at the foot of the bed turned onto the news station. The woman on the news seemed nervous and disheveled as she spoke.

"_I'm here in front of the Bodhum hospital where just hours ago, law enforcement was called in and the area declared off limits to civilians. There are still no reports as to what is going on inside or how it relates to the mass panic now spreading in the surrounding area. Authorities are reluctant to give out any information. Civilians are encouraged to stay in their ho-"  
"Look! Over there!" _A voice suddenly interrupted her. The camera zoomed in on a figure emerging from the building. It looked like a man, but he staggered strangely, as if unable to walk properly. The man looked up and saw the news crew and began running toward them, screaming. Then, there was chaos. The camera was dropped on the ground, and screams could be heard, those of the crew along with the crazed screams coming from the mad who had staggered out of the hospital. There was a bright light and then, nothing. The Television cut to static, showing the same on ever channel.

"What in the name of Etro? That's close by…" Serah muttered as she stared at the screen, trying to reconcile what she had just seen. There was a loud noise that made her turn her attention from the useless TV. Her eyes darted to the window in time to see a bright explosion in the distance, from the same direction as the hospital. "Shit." She raced downstairs, still in her pajamas, desperate to find her sister. "Lightning? Lightning!" She called. The downstairs portion of the house was exactly as it had been. The only note left on the refrigerator was the one from earlier that Lightning had left, telling her that she would be home late from work. It was then that Serah noticed the cell phone on the kitchen counter: Lightning's cell phone. Alarms went off in her mind; Lightning never left the house without making sure there was a way for Serah to contact her. She continued her search into the living room, just in time to see Lightning dart through the glass door that lead from the beachfront where their house was located. Lightning looked haggard, still in her Guardian Core uniform, with her gunblade drawn. Before Serah had a chance to question her sister, the sound of banging at the door that Lightning had just come through distracted her. She recognized the person as the kind elderly man from next door, Mark she thought his name was. Lightning quickly switched her weapon to gun mode and aimed it at the old man, who continued ramming himself against the door and screaming. "Mark! I'm warning you! Back off, or I'll shoot!" Lightning yelled. The old man paid her no heed. Serah gasped as he crashed through the glass, not even noticing when the jagged shards became imbedded in his skin. He charged straight toward Lightning, who shot him down instantly.

"Oh, Etro…" Serah gasped, sinking to her knees as blood pooled around the dead man. "What the hell happened? I… I saw him just this morning." She was broken from her stupor as Lightning grabbed her upper arm and began dragging her away.  
"Are you hurt?" She asked frantically. Of course that would be the first thing she worried about. Serah shook her head but said nothing. Bright lights shined through the windows by their front door, the rumble of a vehicle audible from where they stood. "That will be Snow." Lightning said, dragging her sister toward the door. Serah said nothing as she was hurried into the back seat of her boyfriend's truck, while Lightning secured the copilot seat.

She listened to her sister and boyfriend talking in low, panicked voices. "Snow, what the hell is going on out there?"

"Honestly, I don't know. But it's bad."  
"How bad?" Lightning asked, sounding as if she'd really rather not know.

"Really bad. They've closed off the highway, and they're saying that most of the back roads are inaccessible. I'm guessing you two heard the explosion? It was Bodhum Hospital. It's gone, completely gone."

"That leaves the main road." Lightning said, ignoring the rest of Snow's ramblings.

They drove fast along the coastal roads. A family on the side of the road with a small child tried to flag them down but, at Lightning's insistence, they kept driving and ignored them. Once they reached the heart of the city, everything went to hell. There was chaos in the streets, people running and screaming as whole buildings burned. In the distance, they could hear shots being fired. Unfortunately, they found that they weren't the only ones with the idea of escaping via the main road. Traffic was piled up for as far as the eye could see. People honked their horns and shouted furiously. A few even tried to ram into the vehicle in front of them. On man stepped out his car, furiously shouting at the cars in front of him. His protestations were cut short as another man, this one screeching in a way that didn't seem human, barreled into him, locking his teeth around the mans neck and biting down until the first man's shrill scream died out, replaced by a gurgling sound as blood spewed out of his neck.

"Snow! Get us out of here!" Lightning commanded. He needed no further persuasion, as he quickly shifted the truck into reverse and drove away from the scene as fast as he could. He pounded his horn furiously, warning people to get out the streets lest he mow them down. Serah found she couldn't even scream as she saw that many of the running people were those…things. Many of the fleeing citizens ran screaming, only to fall into the waiting jaws of the humanoid creatures that dug their teeth into the screaming victims, silencing them. The flash of headlights was all the warning they had before another car plowed into them, sending them careening off of the road and onto the sidewalk.

The first thing Serah noticed when she came to was that the truck was on its side. The next thing was the voices outside, screaming as hundreds of people thundered past them without sparing so much as a glance. She turned her attention to the front seat, where Lightning had yet to stir. She grabbed her older sister's shoulder and shook her, "Light! Lightning!" A groan escaped the woman's mouth as she came back to consciousness. "Are you okay?" Serah asked. Lightning didn't answer, instead telling Serah to back away as she kicked the glass out of the front windshield and climbed out of the wreckage. Someone nearby screamed, "There's another one!" before one of the creatures jumped at Lightning, who had just moments to react, pinning her to the vehicle as it desperately tried to reach her with gnashing teeth. Lightning wrestled with it, trying to keep her arms out of the monster's reach. She was saved in the nick of time by Snow, who smashed a brick into its skull. The two immediately turned their attention to Serah, working together to pull her from the wreckage. Serah winced as pain shot up her leg. "My…my leg…" She choked out. Lightning wasted no time in hefting her sister into her arms. She handed her weapon, to Snow, locking eyes with him. "Keep us safe." Was all she said before she began running with Serah in tow. Snow ran right beside them, keeping the gun trained expertly on anything that got too close for comfort. One of the creatures tackled the woman who was running nearby them. They left her.

The group was forced to turn onto another street when an explosion erupted from a gas station, setting off several more fires. "Keep running!" Snow shouted. "Close your eyes, Serah!" Lightning ordered. Serah wished she could as she saw several people catch fire. A squad of Guardian Core patrol cars wrecked into each other, causing yet another explosion and causing the three to dash into an alley. Snow opened the wire gate for them and waited till they were through to close it before following behind them. A figure, what they had assumed was a corpse, suddenly began writhing and leaped off the ground, attacking the sisters. Snow shot it down before it could harm either of them. "Dammit!" Lightning shouted. Two more of the creatures were pounding at the fence, trying to get through. "They're getting through!" She shouted.  
"We'll find a way out!" Snow shouted back, although he sounded more desperate than certain. They dashed into a seedy looking bar through the back entrance. They were all too aware of the sound of inhuman screams echoing behind them. They ran through the door and Snow slammed it, just as a group of the creatures reached their arms through, unhampered but the man's attempts to close the door.

"Get to the highway!" He shouted, desperately trying to keep the screaming horde out.

"What?" Lightning asked, stunned.

"Go! You've got Serah! Get her to safety! I can outrun them!" He yelled, making eye contact with the woman.

Lighting nodded, "We'll meet you there!" She said before turning and running.

"Snow!" Serah shouted, trying to get out of her sister's grip. "No! We can't leave him! We have to go back!"

Lightning ignored her sister's pleas, focusing completely on running as fast as she could. "He'll be fine! We're almost there!" They ran out the front door of the bar, speeding up as she heard the ragged screaming of another one of the creatures that gave chase after them. She was dimly aware of hearing an aircraft flying over them, but blocked out the sound as they ran past the wreckage of an ambulance that two more of the creatures staggered out of and joined the other in chasing after them.

Lightning's legs were burning and her heart pumping wildly at the stress of running and carrying her sister. She could her the screeching monsters getting closer. She knew she couldn't outrun them for much longer. As if the answer to a prayer, three precise shots rang out of nowhere, putting their pursuers out of commission. Lightning turned her attention to their savior. A man in a PSICOM uniform stood in front of them, his military issue gun still held aloft in his hand. "Please!" Lightning gasped. "You have to help us!" She stepped toward the man, but stopped when he refocused his aim on the pair. "Stay where you are!" He commanded. Lightning did as he commanded, knowing that she was in no shape to fight back against him. She took a step back, as if to assure the man that they weren't hostile. "We're not one of them. It's my sister. I think her leg's broken." She said, trying to remain calm. The man ignored her, instead reaching for the communication device fastened to the front of this uniform. "Sir, I have two civilians in the outer perimeter. Please advise." He said.

"Lightning, what about Snow?" Serah whispered as the man listened to whatever orders were relayed to him through his earpiece.

"I'm gonna get you to safety, then I'll go back for him." Lightning whispered back.

"Sir, they're kids. One of them is injured." She soldier said solemnly into his communication device. Lightning began to back away, every instinct telling her to run. The soldier sighed wearily, "Yes sir." He lifted his gun, leveling it with them. Lightning's eyes widened. "Shit!" She screamed, before turning and tossing Serah away as the man opened fire on them. A bullet hit her in the shoulder and she fell to the ground, cradling the injury. The man stood over her, no emotion visible through the lenses of the gas mask he wore. "Please don't." She begged, lifting her hand as if to push him away. His finger shifted to the trigger.

_Bang!_

The soldier toppled over, dead. Snow stood a distance behind him, Lightning's gun held expertly in his hands. He raced toward the girls, and then stopped abruptly. "Oh no." was all he could say. Lightning quickly looked in the same direction.

She didn't want to believe what she saw. Serah lay on the ground; hand clenched around the bloody would in her stomach. "No!" she shouted, running to her sister's side. "Serah! Serah, look at me! You're gonna be alright!"

"L-Light…?" Serah said between gasps. Tears filled her blue eyes as she clumsily grasped for her sisters arm, squeezing it as the pain kicked in. Snow was at her other side, pressing his hand over the wound, desperately trying to staunch the flow. Serah's skin seemed too pale. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her blurring vision. "L…ight…Snow…" It was hard to tell which one of them was screaming.

"Stay awake!"  
"Serah!"  
"Don't go!"

"Stay with me"

Her eyes glazed over, staring at nothing as her life left her.

"No! No! No! No! No!" Lightning was screaming, shaking her sister's lifeless body.

It was Snow who pulled her away, forcing her to run, even as she reached back for Serah's corpse.

"Serah!"

…

Somewhere, a radio crackled to life.

"_The number of confirmed deaths has passed two hundred. The governor has declared a state of emergency."_

…

_ "Hundreds and hundreds of bodies lining the streets…"_

_**...**_

_ "Panic spread worldwide as a leaked report from the department of health showed that the latest vaccination tests have failed."_

…

_ "With the bureaucrats out of power, we can finally take the necessary steps to…"_

…

_ "Palumpolum is the latest city to be placed under martial law."_

…

_ "All residents are required to report to their designated quarantine-"_

…

_ "Riots have continued for the third consecutive day and winter rations are at an all time low."_

…

_ "A group calling themself The Cavalry have claimed responsibility for both attacks." _

…

_ "Their public charter calls for the return of all branches of government."_

…

_ "Demonstrations broke out following the execution of six alleged Cavalry members."_

…

As time passed, the other voices faded into static as another voice, overloaded the airwaves.

_"You can still rise with us. Remember, when you're lost in the darkness… look for the light. Believe in The Cavalry."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow. To be honest, I didn't actually think anyone was going to read this. **

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, or just took the time to read this. **

**I'll try to pump out chapters as quick as possible without making the quality bad.**

**If there are any glaring errors that i missed or ****anything I can change to make it easier to read, please let me know.**

* * *

**Act One: Summer**

Chapter One: The Quarantine Zone

The pounding on the door caused her to jerk awake with a gasp. She took a moment to pull herself together, the after effects of nightmares that everyone shared in. She breathed deep, desperate breaths and wiped the fringe away from her forehead, which had broken out in a cold sweat. She didn't need to look in a mirror to know she looked awful. She also knew that if she had the products to properly wash her face, and hair, she wouldn't look a day over twenty-five. It was a cruel irony that kind had been so kind to her appearance but cheated her in every other aspect. It had been fifteen years since that day. The memories still haunted her and she was thankful that no one bothered to ask if she was okay. It would be a pointless question; no one was okay anymore.

The pounding on the door continued and she hauled herself up from the bed, rubbing away the ache that had settled in her temples as she did so. She quickly straightened her worn, but practical clothes and pulling on her sturdy boots. Another round of loud knocks finally drew a response out of her, "I'm coming!" She snapped. She stumbled out of the bedroom and into the kitchen of the small, rundown apartment that she called home. Unlatching the door revealed middle age man with dark skin and a still bleeding wound on his face. She sighed exasperatedly and allowed her partner to enter.  
"How was your morning?" The man asked nonchalantly as he made a straight line to the bottle of whiskey that she kept handy on the table and poured himself a glass. "Want one?" He said, proffering the bottle.  
"No." She grunted.  
The man gave a huff that was almost a chuckle, as if he had expected that response. "Well I have some interesting news for you." He began.  
"Where were you, Sazh?" Lightning demanded, not waiting to hear what the man had been about to say. He gave her a longsuffering look before answering.  
"Orphan's Cradle District."  
Lightning looked away from him, glaring at the wall as if it had personally offended her.  
"Hey, we had a drop to make." Sazh said in his own defense.  
"_We_." Lightning emphasized. "_We _had a drop to make."  
"Well, you wanted to be left alone, remember?" the older man pointed out, his relaxed tone never wavering. He took the towel that Lightning offered him and pressed it to the wound on his face.

"So I'll take one guess: The whole deal went south and the client made off with our pills. Is that about right?" Lightning said matter-of-factly.  
Sazh interrupted her by openly laughing. "Deal went off without a hitch." He said reaching inside of his long army coat and producing a handful of papers. "Enough ration cards to last us for a couple of months. Easy."  
Lightning didn't look convinced. "You wanna explain this, then?" She asked, gesturing to place on her own face where Sazh's was injured.  
Sazh blew an impatient breath, "I was on my way back, and I got jumped by some assholes, okay? Yeah, they got a few good hits in but… look, I managed, alright Soldier Girl?" He said, using the nickname he had given her.  
The look on her face didn't soften, but something in her eyes seemed less hostile than before. "Give me that." She said, taking the towel and cleaning the cut on his face. "These assholes still with us?" She asked.  
Sazh snorted, "Now _that's _funny."  
"Did you find out who they were?"  
"Yeah. Look, they were a couple of nobody's. They don't matter." He said, pushing Lightning's hand away from his face to make sure he had her full attention. "What matters is that Robert fucking sent them."  
Lightning's eyes widened. "Our Robert?"  
"He knows we're after him. He figures he's gonna get us first." He said to his Lightning's retreating back as she paced the kitchen.  
"Son of a bitch is smart." She spat, throwing the towel down on the counter.  
"No." Sazh insisted. "He's not smart enough." That got Lightning's attention. "I know where He's hiding." Sazh half whispered.  
"Like hell you do" his partner sneered.  
Sazh smirked triumphantly, "Old warehouse in area 5…can't say for how long though."  
The smirk proved to be contagious. "Well I'm ready now, yeah?"  
"Oh, I can do now." He answered as they walked toward the door. If Sazh noticed the old, broken and dull survival knife that the woman strapped to her side, he said nothing.

The remains of the town made Lightning's apartment look comfortable. All around were dilapidated buildings with broken windows and the remains of old graffiti. The streets were uneven and full of rubbish. Most of the people had gone back inside, with the exception of the odd straggler and PSICOM personnel, who patrolled every street.  
Sazh was the first one out the door and took the lead. "Checkpoint's still open." He said.  
"Only got a few hours before curfew." Lightning said in response.  
"We better hurry up then."  
The two set off toward their destination, passing a couple of stragglers standing around an old dumpster. "Wait, are you serious?" one of them asked.  
"I got served the damn papers this morning." The other answered in a hushed tone. "I've been selected for 'outside work' duty."  
"That's such crap. The soldiers are supposed to handle the outside." The first hissed.  
The second snorted. "I'll make sure to tell them that."

Lightning and Sazh did their best not to eaves drop any further and focused on their own task. She followed him through and alley and into the main square, which was just as dismal as the rest of the quarantine zone. A voice blared over the loud speakers that were wired throughout the entire town: _"Attention, Citizens are required to carry a current ID at all times. Compliance with all city personnel is mandatory."  
_It stated. Lightning rolled her eyes at the announcement.  
"Look at that." Sazh muttered loud enough for her to hear. "The ration line hasn't opened yet… must be runnin' low again."  
Some civilians complained to the PSICOM guard posted outside the ration distribution center, asking how much longer it would be, to which he promptly retorted that when the rations arrived, the doors would open. However, the bigger spectacle was the soldier who had kicked a man to the ground and proceeded to beat him. The man cried out that he was innocent, but no one interfered on his behalf. Once the man stopped struggling, the soldier ordered that he be scanned. The man was declared clean and the soldiers went on their way.  
"Seems like more and more people are getting' infected." Sazh mumbled.  
"Just means more people are sneaking out." Lightning affirmed.

As they continued on their way, they overheard many of the same things they were accustomed to: Some guy was lynched, another guy got shot, some poor kid was found raped and beaten to death in an alley. The two did their best to shut it all out and press on, the same as everyone had the last fifteen years.  
They approached the checkpoint and Sahz pulled two documents from his coat. "I got us all new papers so they shouldn't give us any static up here. Just play it cool." He said, handing Lightning hers. They calmly approached the PSICOM personnel posted at the checkpoint and handed them the papers before the man could even finish asking for their IDs.  
"What's your business here?" The soldier asked.  
"Got the day off, visiting a friend." Lightning stated.  
The guard nodded and handed their IDs back to them. "Alright, move on through." He said, stepping aside. However, as they moved to step through, the military transport that stopped at the gate suddenly exploded. The guards, as well as the two smugglers shielded their faces with their arms. The guard immediately closed the gate before they could enter. Shots were fired and the man screamed at them to get away. There were more shouts as one of the soldiers spotted the perpetrators. "Cavalry!" He said, shooting at them. The rest of the soldiers soon joined in and began running after the terrorists.

"C'mon, Soldier Girl. Let's get out of here." Sazh said, pulling her away. The alarm began to sound and the voice came over the loud speaker again: _"Check point 5 is now closed until further notice. All civilians must clear the surrounding area immediately."  
_"Damn Cavalry." Lightning cursed as she ran after Sazh.  
"Looks like it's clear." Sazh said, approaching a building in the middle of the town where several others from their smuggling ring often met up and entered through the heavy, double doors. "Fuck. So much for the easy route." He huffed. "Well, take five to patch yourself up." He said, waving his hand at her arm where a bullet had grazed it. It took less than three minutes for her to bind it up and the duo kept moving.  
Sazh grumbled, "They're gonna close all the checkpoints…we're gonna have to go around the outside."  
"Outside the wall?" Lightning asked incredulously.  
"Or we could just let Robert go." Sazh said sarcastically.  
"Not a chance."

They passed by another man, who confirmed that the tunnels were clear of patrols and inquired about their destination. Sazh told the mad straight out that they planned to pay Robert a visit. "You too?" The man asked.  
Sazh turned to look at him without slowing his pace. "Who else is lookin' for him?" He asked.  
The man shrugged, "Uh…Cid. He's been asking around, trying to find him."  
"Cid? What does The Cavalry need with Robert?" Sazh asked, genuinely interested.  
The man chuckled. "You think he'd tell me?"  
"Well what did you tell her?" Lightning demanded.  
"The truth. I got no idea where He's hiding."  
Sazh patted him on the shoulder, "Good man. You stay out of trouble, military's gonna be out in droves soon."  
The man nodded, "Yeah, see you around." He said before they went their separate ways.

"Cid lookin' for Robert? What do you make of that?" Sazh asked in a low tone.  
"I don't like it. Better find him before The Cavalry does." Lightning answered.  
She followed him to a spacious room which, like all the others, had fallen into disrepair. A man sitting on a couch in the center of the room greeted them solemnly and affirmed the earlier report: No signs of military or Cie'th. Sazh and Lightning nodded their thanks to the man before moving an old Television set away from the wall to reveal a tunnel. The man on the couch casually wished them luck and the two walked into the dark tunnel. Sazh complained loudly about the rank smell, saying that people needed to be more careful with what they threw away in the tunnels. The rumble of a generator signaled their location. There was a quiet click and a single light bulb hung from the ceiling flickered to life.

"Let there be light." Sazh quipped. They walked through another smaller series of tunnels in which they had to duck and jump under and over several obstacles to reach the next room. "Alright, let's grab our gear." He instructed as the wandered into the second room, which was stocked with their supplies. "Our backpacks are still here from last time."

The two carefully checked their weapons and first aid kits. Lightning picked up her pistol and ejected the magazine. "Not a lot of ammo." She observed glumly before clicking it back into place.

"Make your shots count then." Sazh said with a smirk. The woman said nothing as she placed the pistol in the holster that she had fastened to her side and pulled her backpack straps over she shoulders. Adequately prepared, the two walked to the furthest corner of the room, where the passage was boarded up until it reached the opening at the top, which was large enough for them to walk through. Sazh walked over to the wall and held his hands out to serve as a step for Lightning, who used it to vault herself up to the edge. Once up, she reached a hand down to Sazh and helped haul him up.

The man shook a crick out of his shoulder, "Getting' too old for this." He mumbled. Lightning rolled her eyes but said nothing while she waited for him. The space was small, but at the back, the ceiling opened up into another room, with the door to the basement concealed under parts of the floorboard. The building that it had brought them too was small and rundown; the remains of what had once been a quaint little diner. The floor was coated in grime, as well as the walls, where still hung old portraits above the booths and tables. There was a large whole in the brick wall and the door was missing from the doorway.

"Be careful." Lightning warned as she followed the older man out the door.

"When am I not?" He asked playfully.

Lightning snorted derisively, "That a trick question?"

The two walked a little ways until they reached a building with the same red bricks as the others in the vicinity. Their usual route would take them over this very building. However, this time they were met with a roadblock.  
"Where's the ladder?" Sazh asked frustratedly.  
"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter two: Hope

No sooner had they left the camp, they were confronted by a group of three men, all armed.

"Let us through." Sazh ordered.

"Ya'll need to turn around and head back, if yah know what's good for yah." One of the men sneered in response.

Lightning narrowed her eyes, "Our beef isn't with you, we just want Robert. You don't want to do this."

"Turn the fuck around and leave _now._" The man snarled.

"I'm not going anywhere until I have Robert." She shot back.

"Bitch! I will bash your skull in unless you turn your dumb ass around and get outta here."

Lightning narrowed her eyes. "Fuck this." She said before blowing the man's brains out. The other two ducked behind some crates for cover as Lightning and Sazh did the same. The fight didn't last long and the smugglers left after collecting the guns from the dead thugs.

"How the hell does he get all these guys?" Lightning spat.

"Heh, if Robert's good at one thing, it's writin' blank checks." Sazh replied while reloading his gun. "Let's go put an end to that."

They made their way through the thugs' territory through back alleys and climbing over walls, avoiding fights where they could and, where they couldn't, they made short work of their opponents.

"Almost there." Sazh whispered as they approached an old office building with several men inside. Lighting ducked under a window, Listening to their conversation.

"I head they're crackin' down on them Cavalry guys real hard these days."

"No kidding. The other day, I saw a group of five of them being executed. Just lined them up against a wall and 'bang, bang, bang'."

"Etro. I got a cousin with them, you know."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Idiot thinks he's gonna save the world. Hope he's alright."

Lightning sighed before sneaking into the building and hiding behind a desk. Sazh followed her in and they both took down one of the men, strangling them until they stopped fighting. Lighting lifted the key to the warehouse off of one of them and they pressed onward. They were quickly pulled into a firefight upon exiting the building. A blunder on Lightning's part in an attempt to throw some of the thugs off their trail backfired on them. They barely managed to take all of them out.

"Damn, Soldier Girl. You gotta be more careful. I'm gettin' to old for this shit."

Lightning didn't apologized, but looked embarrassed at having made such and amateur mistake.

They approached another room and a shots were fired as soon as the door was opened "Back! Get the fuck back!" The man inside

"We just wanna talk, Robert." Sazh said from outside .

"We ain't got fuckin' nothin' to talk about!" He shouted back, never lowering his weapon.

"Put your gun _down_!" Sazh said, more firmly this time.

Robert fired another shot and they could hear the clicking that signified an empty barrel. "Go fuck yourselves!" He screamed as he threw the now useless weapon at them and made a break for the door.

"He' running!" Sazh shouted as he took off after the man with Lightning close behind.

"Robert!" Lightning shouted in a warning tone.

"C'mon, this way!" Sazh instructed as he kicked open the door that Robert had locked behind him. They were just in time to see him turn the corner after dumping over several rubbish bins in a desperate attempt to obstruct their path. They were gaining on him. When they finally caught up to him, Robert was trying in vain to open a gate that had been chained shut, effectively creating a dead end. The two blocked the opposite path, ensuring that he wouldn't escape this time.

"Hello Robert." Sazh said with a smirk, leveling his gun at the man.

Robert, who had finally given up on opening the gate, turned around slowly. "Sazh. Lightnin. No hard feelings, right?" He said, slowly walking towards them.

"None at all." Lightning quipped. She bent down and picked up a metal rod, which she used to hit him in the shin as he tried to sprint passed them.

"We missed you." Said Sazh, the smirk never leaving his face.

"L-look! Whatever you heard, it wasn't true, okay? I just wanna say-"

"The guns." Lightning interrupted. "You wanna tell us where the guns are?"

"Yeah sure but…it's complicated! I just-"

He was cut off again, this time by Sazh's boot to his face. Robert sputtered as the same man grabbed his arm and held it out at an odd angle and began applying pressure.

"Stop! Stop!" Robert screamed.

"Quit your squirming. You were saying?" Lightning spat, her face and voice showing no signs of sympathy.

Robert panted. "I sold them." He confessed.

Lighting looked disgusted. "Excuse me?"

"I didn't have much of a choice! I owed someone."

"You owed _us_!" Lighting snarled.

"I'd say you bet on the wrong chocobo." Sazh said venomously.

"I just need more time. Gimme a week." Robert begged.

"You know, we might've done that… _if you hadn't tried to kill me!_" Sazh shot back. He twisted the arm more, "Who has our guns?"

Robert panted and shook his head. "I…I can't. Please! Just gimme a week and I'll-" He was cut off, this time by his own scream as Sazh broke his arm.

"Let's try this again: Who. Has. Our. Guns?" said Lightning.

Robert was a sobbing mess, crying on the ground while trying to keep the pressure off of his broken arm. "It…. It was the Cavalry! I owed the Cavalry!" He said through his sobs.

"What?" They both asked.

"Look, they're basically all dead. We could just…g-go in there…finish'em off and get the guns." He pleaded. "Whadaya say? C'mon. Fuck them Cavalry assholes! Let's go get'em!"

"That…" Lighting muttered, standing up. "Is a stupid idea." She raised her gun and shot a single bullet through the pathetic mess that was Robert.

Sazh inhaled sharply, staring disdainfully at their treacherous partner. "Well now what?"  
"Now, we go get our merchandise back." She replied.

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"I don't know! We explain it to them!" She brushed the hair out of her face and breathed deeply. "Look, let's just go find one of them."

"You won't have to look very far." A new voice said.

The voice's owner stepped out of the shadows. He was tall and well built with straight black hair and seemed to have an air of authority about him. His clothes were simple and worn like theirs, but seemed to be well cared for despite their age. Most notably was the blood staining his right side in which hand he held a gun. His left hand was held securely over the wound in an attempt to stop the blood flowing from it.

"There you go." Sazh snorted. "The man himself. Good to see yah, Cid."

"What are you two doing here?" The man asked cautiously.

"Business." Lighting retorted. "You aren't looking so hot." She gestured to the still bleeding wound.

The man looked down at his wound, grimly. "Where's Robert?" He asked next.

Lightning chucked humorlessly and stepped aside, revealing Robert's mangled body.

The man glared, although without much energy. "Nice. I needed him _alive_."

Lightning cut to the chase. "The guns he gave you; they weren't his to sell. I want them back."

"It doesn't work like that, Lightning." He said calmly.

"The hell it doesn't." Lightning said, taking a step forward.

"I paid for those guns. You want'em back, you're gonna have to earn them." He said sternly.

Lightning looked at Sazh who just shrugged unhelpfully. "How many cards are we talking about?" She said through gritted teeth.

Cid shook his head. "I don't give a damn about ration cards…" He sighed. "I need something smuggled out of the city. You do that, I'll give you your guns back and then some."

Lightning raised an eyebrow and Sazh stepped forward. "How do we know you got'em?" The older man asked. "The way I hear it, PSICOM's been wiping you guys out."

Cid nodded ruefully. "You're right about that. I'll show you the weapons."

Before anything more could be said, they heard a loud voice: "Search the area!"

"Shit! PSICOM!" Sazh muttered.

"I gotta move. What's it gonna be?" Cid asked, backing away.

"I want to see these guns." Sazh decided following after him. Lighting nodded and followed also.

"Follow me." Cid instructed.

They were forced to run as quietly as possible to avoid the patrolling unit. Cid led them through a series of back allies and hidden doors, dodging the soldiers by mere seconds. They were walking across a rooftop when they heard a loud explosion. Lightning looked out across the city to see the burst of flame and smoke coming from one of the many run down buildings.

"Holy shit. That your people?" Sazh asked.

"What's left of them. Why do you them I'm turning to you two?" Cid said, looking away from the sight. "They've been trying to rile us up and get us out of hiding for months. Looks like they've finally succeeded."

Sazh helped the injured man move a fake wall to reveal the door hidden behind it. "How you holdin' up?" He asked, pity in his voice.

"I'll live." Cid said shortly. They came out of the building and Cid gestured to the their next destination. "We gotta get to the door under the bridge. There's a PSICOM unit, but we can sneak past them…even though I know that's not your style."

They followed in silence for the rest of the journey, holding their breath any time a soldier got too close for comfort.

"Just a little further." Cid whispered after they were well past the soldiers. He was looking too pale and was gripping his side tight.

The loud speaker announced that curfew was in full effect.

"Shit. We need to hurry." Lightning muttered. "The hell are we smuggling?"

Cid grimaced in pain. "I'll show you." He approached a door and began fumbling with the key. He faltered, gripping his side and gasping for air as vertigo set in.

Lightning was quick to grab the key and open the door as Sazh grabbed the younger man and helped him inside.

"Get the fuck away from him!" Someone shouted.

Lighting jolted, looking over her shoulder as she entered the room. The voice's owner was a boy; Just a kid. He wore a faded pair of jeans and sneakers with a beat worn black shirt and hooded jacket, which looked like it had once been yellow. The boy himself was short and scrawny with green eyes and silver hair, which poked out in odd places. Most alarmingly, however, was the fact that he had a pocketknife pointed at Sazh. Lightning quickly ran over and tried to disarm the boy, who immediately began struggling.

"Let him go!" Cid commanded.

Lightning narrowed her eyes at the boy before turning to Cid, "You're recruiting kinda young, don't you think."  
Cid inhaled and stood up on shakey legs, "He's not one of mine."

"Shit." The boy said, noticing the wound in the man's side. "What happened?" He led Cid over to a chair and helped him sit down.

"Don't worry." Cid reassured the child. "This is fixable….I got us help." He nodded to Lightning and Sazh, who were checking the hallway before closing the door. He looked the boy in the eyes. "But I can't come with you."

The boy blew a piece of hair out his face. "Well then I'm staying."

"Hope." Cid pleaded. "We won't get another shot at this."

"Hey, hold it." Lighting interrupted. "We're smuggling _him_?" She said, pointed at the kid.

Cid nodded, "There's a crew of my people who will meet you at the Capitol building in the Hanging Edge."  
"That's not exactly close." Sazh argued.

"You're capable." Cid sneered. "All you have to do is hand him off, come back, and the weapons are yours. Double what Robert sold me."

"Yeah, speaking of which, where are they?" Sazh demanded.

"Back in our camp." Cid answered.

Sazh look back at Lightning, who had her eyes narrowed at the Cavalry leader, "We're not smuggling shit till we've set eyes on them."

Cid nodded, "Follow me. You can verify the weapons and I can get patched up. But he's not crossing into that part of town." He gestured to Hope. "Lightning, I want you to stay and watch him."

Lightning and Hope both began arguing at this point.

"I don't think that's such a good idea!" Lighting argued.

"Bullshit! I'm not staying with her!"

"Hope." Cid said, getting the boy's attention.

The boy looked like wanted to argue, but settled for asking, "How do you know them?"

"I used to work with her brother, Snow. He said that if I was ever in a jam, I could rely on her" He said.

"He's not my brother! And was that before or after he left your little group?" Lightning snapped.

Cid glared at her, "He left you too. He was a good man."

Lighting opened her mouth with another retort on her tongue, but Sazh stopped her. "Look, Soldier Girl, just watch the kid. Take him to the north tunnel. I'll go check out the weapons and I'll meet you there."

"For the love of Etro…" She muttered.

"He's just cargo, Light." He reasoned.

Hope turned to the younger man. "Cid." He pleaded.

"No more talking." The man said. "You'll be fine…now go with her."

Lighting turned from the boy to Sazh. "Don't take long. And you." She turned to Hope. "Stay close."

Hope spared one last pleading look at Cid before following Lightning.

The walk to the north tunnel was relatively uneventful. The soldiers they encountered were few and far between and they stuck to back alleys and rooftops. Lightning occasionally checked behind her to make sure the kid was keeping up with her pace, but made no effort to slow down. After about an hour of walking, they reached Lighting's apartment in the north tunnel. She opened the door and quickly ushered the boy inside.

Once the door was locked again, she flopped down on the threadbare couch in the center of the room.

Hope looked around, a bewildered expression on his face, "What are you doing?"

"Killing time" Lighting grumbled, closing her eyes.

"Well…what am I supposed to do?" The boy asked.

Lightning grunted. "I am sure you will figure that out." She said in a voice that clearly meant that she was to be left alone.

She heard the boy exhale, exasperatedly. He walked over toward the window, staring at his new guardian, taking in her greasy pink hair and worn pants and shirt and anything else that stood out. His eyes finally landed on the knife that she had strapped to her side.

"That knife is broken, you know." He muttered. He sat down by the window and made no further attempt to hold conversation.

…

She started awake from a dream. Here eyes darted around the room, which was dark now.

"You mumble in your sleep." A young voice said from the seat by the window. "I hate bad dreams."

Lighting sat up and placed her face in her hand. "Yeah, me too." She said quietly. She noticed for the first time that it was raining outside and moved to look out the window where the kid was seated.

"You know…" He began. "I've never been this close… To the outside. Look how dark it is." He said, leaning forward and staring out into the distance.

Lightning lit a lantern, providing some light to chase away the gloom.

Hope stared at her for a moment. "Can't be any worse out there." He said optimistically. When Lightning didn't answer, he stood up and walked towards her. "Can it?"

Instead of answering, Lightning rounded on him. "What on earth does the Cavalry want with you?" she demanded.

Before the boy could answer, the door opened and Sazh walked in, still drenched from the rain. "Sorry I'm late. Soldiers are fuckin' everywhere." He approached Lightning.

"How's Cid?" Hope asked.

Sazh considered the kid for a moment before answering, "He'll make it." He said before turning to Lightning, "I saw the merchandise. It's a lot." He glanced back at the kid. "You wanna do this?" He asked.

Lightning also glanced at him. "Sure."

Sazh nodded. "Let's go."


End file.
